Forty Thieves Solitaire
Forty Thieves Solitaire uses two decks and takes serious planning: columns build down in suit and you can only move one card at a time.
How to play Forty Thieves Solitaire
The goal is to move all 104 cards from both decks to the 8 foundations at the top, two for each suit, in order from Ace up to King. The game starts with 10 columns of 4 face-up cards (the “forty thieves”) and the rest of the cards in the stock.
In the columns, cards build down in the SAME suit: a 7 of hearts only goes on an 8 of hearts. You move just one card at a time, always the top card of a column, and any card can fill an empty column.
Tap the stock to flip a card onto the waste pile; the top card of the waste can go to a column or a foundation. You only get one pass through the stock, with no redeal, so think before you flip. Tapping a card sends it to the best spot, and the “Undo” button takes back your last move.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Forty Thieves Solitaire so hard?
Because the columns have to follow suit, only one card moves at a time and the stock never recycles. Only a small share of games are won, so every win really counts.
Why is it called Forty Thieves?
The name comes from the 40 cards dealt into the columns at the start, a nod to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The game is also known as Napoleon at St. Helena.
What’s the best Forty Thieves strategy?
Emptying a column is the most valuable move, since it takes any card and helps you rearrange the others. Send Aces and low cards to the foundations early, and avoid flipping the stock while you still have moves in the columns.